Summary: Taemin loves and loves, but Minho grits his teeth and keeps on pushing.

Cold Heart

"Hyung!"

The expressionless face that Taemin had cheerfully been approaching turned the other way with a cold look in his eyes. But the young maknae wasn't fazed.

Because he was used to his Hyung's detached responses.

"Hyung, Hyung, Hyung!" Taemin was about to pounce on the retreating figure when an arm reached out to grab on to his waist.

"Why?" Taemin questioned the intruder as he was pulled back a few steps.

"Taemin, I suggest you not bother Minho right now," Jonghyun whispered as their subject turned the corner and left their sight. "He's in a pretty bad mood."

"Maybe I can cheer him up, then," Taemin nodded his head, trying to convince himself.

"Wait-" Jonghyun's warning was pushed aside as Taemin pulled out of his grasp.

"Hyung, wait up," Taemin felt the light rain catching onto his clothes as he ran out of the SM Entertainment building, but he didn't care. Even through the many calls by his dongsaeng, Choi Minho did not turn back.

"Minho Hyung," Taemin had finally caught up to his slow-paced elder.

"Did you hear? Did you? I'm so excited!" Minho didn't reply. He didn't even face the poor maknae. His stare remained straight ahead of the two band members. "You might not have heard, but we're going to appear on a Japanese variety show this weekend! I'm so happy, aren't you?"

Taemin continued babbling, not noticing the angry look spreading on his Hyung's face. "Taemin," Minho finally interrupted the youngster's rambling.

A hopeful expression bloomed on the maknae's face as he heard his name on the others lips.

But Minho's next phrase broke his heart all over again.

"Can you please just leave me alone?" Taemin could feel the sharp pain in his heart, as if he was being stabbed cruelly. Minho stared him down, anger growing behind a thin shield that some would say was pleading. "Please?"

"... Sure Hyung," Taemin retreated back to the building, in shock at what had happened between them.

The rain was pouring by now yet the disheartened boy still glanced back, a sliver of hope still remaining. But that hope was mercilessly crushed as he discovered that his Hyung hadn't even taken a look back at him.

"I warned you about this," Jonghyun muttered, tossing a white towel to the soaked Taemin slouching in a chair outside the recording studio.

In truth, Taemin had known that this would be the outcome. But the stubborn maknae had chased after the reserved Minho like a fool. Because that's exactly what he was.

"Why don't you ever leave him alone like he tells you to?" Jonghyun questioned.

"Because I can't!" Taemin was tired. He was exhausted from chasing his elder who seemed to give no thought to his predicament.

He was upset.

He was heartbroken.

And he was angry.

Angry at himself for being too young and too naive. Angry for having fallen for his cold Hyung.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jonghyun asked, confused at his dongsaeng's reply.

"You wouldn't understand," Taemin sighed and looked down at his gradually air-drying self. Bling Bling Jonghyun had no clue what the maknae felt towards Minho. None of the other members of SHINee knew, either.

Well, except for his kindred spirit...

"I think I'm going to get going now," Taemin sighed as he tossed the damp towel at Jonghyun's face.

"Oh, okay," Jonghyun's muffled voice came from behind the wet cloth. "Key is still at his schedule but Onew Hyung is already at the dorm."